Visit SCI's website.

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources

South Carolina Wildlife Federation

National Rifle Association

Gun Owners of America

Africa News

US Department of State Travel Information

Another Day in Paradise 2003

by Terry Blauwkamp

How else can I write about another trip to Africa, but label, it Paradise, again?

This year proved to be no exception. We were gone a total of 49 days, and my wife says she has slept in so many beds, she could not remember them all.

I’ll try to give you all just enough details, without it becoming an infomercial.

April 11,

We left GRR and flew to Atlanta. We overnighted there at the Sleep Inn by the airport, and our friends Pat and Jewell Munn came over and had dinner with us.

April 12,

We took the shuttle to the airport, and the check-in at SAA went very well. They did not weight the luggage, or complain about the guns or anything.

TSA did want to look at my ammo box, but they were very polite and quick about it. They then let us lock everything back up, and off to the gate we went.

The plane was slightly late in getting in, so we were 40 minutes late getting out. While most of the country was complaining about fear of flying, there were only 6 empty seats on the whole plane, and the Lord blessed us by putting one of them between Jo Ann and I. That sure beats having three of us huddled together like sardines.

The trip over to Cape Town was quite uneventful. Lots of movies, and food, and I slept a little bit too.

Arrival in Cape Town was handled quite well, and we were thru immigration and had our gun permits in hand in less than 30 minutes.

Waiting for us was Anton from Willow Brook B & B, and he took us over there for a nice lunch and a nap.

At 2:30 PM we headed back to the airport, as we were going to fly up to Kimberly yet that day.

A very nice 1:30 min flight on SAA express, and we arrived to see Hans De Klerk’s big smile, and empty bakkie for our luggage and guns.

He took us to the Kalahari Lodge in Kimberly where we overnighted and had dinner.

The next morning, we were off on our 4-hour drive to his ranch in the middle of nowhere near the Botswana border.

We got there around 2-3 PM and his lovely wife Marie was waiting for us with lunch.

After we unpacked, Hans and I took a quick trip to the rifle range to check zero on the rifles. Whoa, not a click of adjustment was required. (Thanks Leupold) they survived the first part of the trip.

While we were out, we just could not resist putting a stalk on some nearby Springbok, and the 300 Win w/ 180 gr Federal Sierras, made an easy one shot kill.

Over the next 6 days with Hans and Marie, we treated to great food and accommodations. Their Chalets even have two washbasins and two toilets, really nice.

During our stay, we took two Gemsbok, one Red Hartebeest, one Blue Wildebeest, and two Springbok. The Springbok, we 13" & 15" and the Gemsbok were "special", with broken horns for bullet testing. The Hartebeest and Wildebeest were very nice trophies.

Saturday April 19

We had a nice easy morning, and then Hans, Marie, and our selves headed for Kimberley. We are going to stay over night at the Kalahari Lodge again, and then Han & Marie are going back to ranch on Sunday Morning

On our way back, it rained very hard a couple places, and we got there nicely in time for dinner.

Sunday (Easter) April 20

We all went down for breakfast at "Sunrise" and were treated to a Easter Sunrise Church service being held at the Lodge’s pool where they also had a Baptism.

After breakfast, De Klerk’s bid us farewell, and headed back to the ranch for Easter dinner with the family later that day.

Our SAA Express flight to Jo Berg did not leave Kimberley until 2 PM, so we had some time to kill. So we just enjoyed the morning and then took a cab back to the airport.

Upon arrival in Jo Berg, Scott Van Zyl, from African Hunting Safaris, was waiting for us, and now we had another 4 hour drive up to his place in Ellisras.

We sort of arrived there after dark and again had a great dinner and soon were unpacked and to sleep.

We will just to be with Scot two days and were just scouting out the place. We tried to shoot a Bushbuck, but to no avail. Ah, but Jo Ann did shoot a Baboon at 200 + yards right from the front porch of the lodge.

Oh, and such a lodge this place is. This is truly, "fit for a king". The bathroom was big as our living room. Fireplace and a Queen size bed. Such a tough life we have. Also the view over the canyon as spectacular.

Wednesday April 23

By 8:30 Am we were on the road head back to Jo Berg Airport again.

From there we took a flight to Port Elizabeth (PLZ), and we picked up by a representative from Jutland Manor B & B. Whisked away, and in 10 minutes enjoying an afternoon tea on the porch overlooking PLZ.

They fixed us a fine dinner, and we watched the sun go down over the ocean.

Thursday Apr 24

At 10 AM, Roy & Jenny Wormald came to fetch us, and we are now off to Cradock for our next hunt. It is much cooler here, in that we are way south, and much higher in elevation, and we sure slept well that night.

We are with Roy & Jenny for the next 10 days, and this is our 6th time with them. Sort of shows we like to come here.

While here, we shot a Common Blesbok, two great Fallow Deer, a Black Wildebeest, Impala, Common Springbok, Blue Wildebeest, White Springbok, White Blesbok, and a couple Mt Reedbuck.

While there we went looking for lost cattle, and visited the neighbor who is the local "gunsmith". He and I got on very well, as I helped him with a problem rifle that he now has figured out what was wrong.

Sunday May 4

Finally time to leave again, and Jenny is taking us back to PLZ. We are going to night over there at the City Lodge, and the next morning going to Jo Berg again.

Monday May 5

While at the City Lodge, our friends Dick and Linda called us, just to say they missed us, and to hurry home. What a surprise, I could not figure who was calling us.

After a nice breakfast at the lodge, Jenny picked us up and we all went over to the Hair Salon. That’s right, we have been gone over 3 weeks now, and looking pretty scruffy. Jo Ann had her hair done, and I had mine cut so I could last another 3 weeks.

Next year, Jo Ann & Jenny are already planning on what day we will arrive, so that they can do this again.

Checking in at the airport went very well again, with no hassles about guns or ammo.

While standing waiting for the plane to load, I overheard the SAA agent wondering where, "the Blauwkamp's were"? "Right here", said I, as surely they have a problem with something to do with the guns or ammo.

"OH great", he says, reaching for our boarding passes. "We are over booked, so we are putting you both up in First Class. Is that alright"? Alright? Anytime there buddy. So we’re up with the elite for the short trip to Jo Berg.

In Jo Berg, our friend Marius Kruger from African Dawn Safaris in Vaalwater was waiting for us. A short 10-minute trip over to his house in Kempton Park for a snack, and then of for the ranch about two hours away.

Our PH and dear friend Piet Fourie, was not there right now, as he was laid up in the Hospital with Malaria, again. A year to the day, from when he came down with it last year.

We nicely got there right at sunset, and were treated to a lot of game out for the evening.

The next morning, we quickly checked our rifles zero’s again, and there were still right on. (Thanks again Leupold).

Over the next week with Marius and Piet, who finally did show up, we took some really nice trophies.

Jo Ann took a 30+" Blue Wildebeest, a great 25" Impala, an old Blesbok, and a 15" Blesbok. I took an old Eland Cow that we were planning on testing a South African bonded core bullet on, a Bush Pig in daylight, and an old Gemsbok with buggered horns.

Also shot a couple Blesbok on the neighbor’s property for him. Ten animals all totaled there.

Each day was new adventure, and one day Jo Ann took Lana, Marius’ wife, and the cook to town for a day at the Spa in Warmbaths. They really enjoyed that.

Darn, again our time is flying past, and we again need to leave our dear friends.

Sunday May 11 Mother’s Day

After breakfast, and all the goodbyes at the ranch we headed back to Kempton Park to Marius’ house. We went out for dinner, and stayed overnight at the house.

Monday May 12

Today our PH, Adriaan Rall is picking us up, and we are going south of Jo Berg in the Free State shooting Blesbok.

This is not as easy as one might think, as we are taking only juvenile males out any herd to balance out the male to female ratio. These ranchers have specific ratios they want, and welcome us to help them attain it.

On this particular afternoon, we only shot one Blesbok, even though the heard was the biggest I have ever seen. There were close to a thousand animals in one herd, and there was no way to sort out the ones we wanted.

The next day we hunted two other ranches, and took 19 animals that day. Jo Ann was on a terror, taking 14 of them.

Darn, it gets cold here in the Free State. That ride home that night was very chilly sitting in the back of the truck. But least I was sitting on a load of warm Blesboks anyway.

All the meat is either sold or given to the local people for food, nothing is wasted what so ever.

Wednesday May 14

Time to move on again, and our host at the ranch drove us to Standardton to meet up with our next and final PH, Hennie Badenhorst from Lyon Safaris.

We met up at 10 AM and then drove 6 hours to Natal to a place called Shukuza. Home of the Nyala and Common Reedbuck.

It was much warmer here, and much thicker country to hunt. But, it was the full moon, and the Nyala were playing all night, and sleeping all day. We saw a couple, but never got a descent shot. Jo Ann did take a Common Reedbuck, her first, but that was all we took in three days.

Sunday May 18

6:05 Am we left Natal, and at 6 PM were drove into camp up on the Limpopo. This was a long ride, crossing South Africa literally from border to border. We saw a very diverse range of country including large pine forest that I thought I was back home in Northern Michigan. I never know SA had so much lumber grown there. But then again, where did I think all the fence poles come from? Never gave it a thought before.

By 8:30 we had eaten supper and we in bed, pooped to say the least.

We were to spend the next 7 days with Hennie on this ranch, and ended up having another wonderful time.

With Hennie we ended up with the Common Reedbuck from Natal, a couple Warthogs, a 50" Kudu, 25" Impala, and 3 other ones too. Plus a nice Red Hartebeest, Gemsbok, and a Duiker. A total of 12 animals with him.

The weather consistently was 55 deg to 75 deg each day. I would think that we had over 40 days of sunshine. Oh what a Golfer’s delight it would be to play here everyday.

Monday May 26

The day we all dread, time to pack up and go home. We left the ranch with Hennie at about 8 AM, and drove to Kempton Park again to Marius’ house. We had left some souvenirs and clothes we did not need there. So after lunch with us, Hennie took off back to the ranch, and Lana took us to the airport at 5 PM.

There we met up with our old friend Marlene from SAA, who handled all our details with great efficiency. Got the guns checked in and we were of to the departure lounge.

The plane was not as full going home, but we had seats in the upper deck, and that worked well, even though we had all three seats occupied next to us.

Tuesday May 27

It is along ride home, which includes a fuel stop in SAL Island. 17 hous and 20 minutes flying time to Atlanta.

We got into Atlanta 10 minutes early, and just beat a couple other flights so we got thru luggage, guns and Customs very nicely.

Now a flight to Detroit and then on to Grand Rapids and we are finally home. It took just 24 hours from the time we left Jo Beg to get home.

What is the best part of home? My own bed, and enough room so that we don’t have to live out of a suitcase. Food we missed the most? Mickey D Fries. The African fries, or chips as they call them, suck. But I love their pop called TAB.

Oh, and real Bacon. African Bacon is like Canadian bacon. Can’t get it crispy at all. More like ham most of the time.

Gun and bullet report:

Jo Ann used her Howa & 7mm Rem Mag, mostly with 162 gr Hornady BT’s and a few 175 gr Hornady bullets.

Day in and day out, the 162 BT seems to "kill a bit quicker", but the 175 gr sure work well too. I was amazed at the penetration that 162 BT would give every now and then. Like taking a Kudu in the shoulders, and breaking the shoulder in the far side.

I used mostly my Pre 64 M 70 300 Win Mag. Federal factory 180 gr Sierra Classic bullets worked very well on game under 300 lbs, and over 200 yards. At ranges less than that, the bullet tended to breakup too much. At over 200 yard, they would punch through.

The 180 gr Swift A-Frames and Trophy Bonded Bear Claws are in a class by themselves. " A Bear Claw is a Bear Claw, all the others are wana’be’s".

I tried some new Remington Ultra Core Lokts with a bonded core. The stayed together, but lack the solid base like the TBBC, and did not penetrate very well.

Swift A-Frames penetrate very well, and are certainly on a par with the TBBC.

In the 338 Win Mag, the 200 gr Hornady’s are like Sierra’s, best used at over 200 yards, and on game under 300 lbs.

The Eland I shot, was with a 250 gr Rhino brand Bonded Core Bullet. It is built just like the TBBC, and completely penetrated the Eland for a nice one-shot kill.

Also used a few old 217 gr Swift A-Frames, and they just penetrated everything I hit with them. No recovered bullets at all.

When the chips really get down to it, I reach for the Federal Premium 225 gr Bear Claws. When they speak, "E F Hutton listens".

I hit Gemsbok with that bullet, and they just collapsed.

So ends another great trip. 2004 is already being planned, and I hope to take some new Barnes X Triple Shock bullets in the 300 Win and 270 Win. The 338 might just get a year off.